Sunday, August 29, 2010

What is praised is one, so the praise is one too,many jugs being poured into a huge basin. All religions, all this singing, one song.

The differences are just illusion and vanity. Sunlight looks slightly different on this wallthan it does on that wall and a lot different on this other one, butit is still one light. We have borrowed these clothes, these time-and-space personalities,from a light, and when we praise, we pour them back in.

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Four Interrupted Prayers

Four Indians enter a mosque and begin the prostrations.Deep, sincere praying.

But a priest walks by, and one of the Indians, without thinking says, "Oh, are you going to give the call to prayer now? Is it time?"

The second Indian, under his breath, "You spoke. Now your prayers are invalid."

The third, "Uncle, don't scold him! You did the same thing. Correct yourself."

The fourth, "Praise to God, I have not made the mistake of these three."

So all four prayers are interrupted, with the three faultfinders being more at fault than the original speaker. Blessed is one who his weakness, and blessed is one who, when he sees a flaw in someone else , takes responsibility for it.Because, half of any person is wrong and weak and off the path.Half!The other half is dancing and swimming and flying in the invisible joy. You have ten open sores on your head. Put what salve you have on yourself. And point out to everyone the disease you are.

That's part of getting well! When you lance yourself that way, you become more merciful and wiser. Even if you don't have a particular fault at the moment, you may soon be the one who makes some act notorious.

Don't feel self-satisfied. Lucifer lived eons as a noble angel. Think what his name means now.Don't try to be famous until your face is completely washed of any fear. If your beard hasn't grown out, don't joke about someone's smooth chin.

Consider how Satan swallowed soul poison, and be grateful that you taste only the sweetness of being warned.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Yesterday was the tirobhava of Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja, a great saint the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. Tirobhava, is translated as disappearance, because saints do not die like ordinary mortals. They wrap up their lila, or pastimes on the mundane plane. "He reasons ill who say vaisnavas die, while still living in sound. Vaisnavas die to live and living try to spread the holy name around."

Vamsidas Babaji was born in 1859 in a small village located in what is now known as Bangladesh. He grew up in family of fishermen. Nothing more was expected of him in life than to become a fisherman. Life at that time was very rough due to intense poverty.He was initiated by the family guru who was from the line of Narottama das Thakura. He began to disassociate himself from this material world. He started spending more time at his guru's ashram. He then took initiation from Narottam das Babaji.

Vamsidas Babaji, like most paramahamsa babajis in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, did not follow certain rules and regulations meant for sadhakas. Rather his love of God flowed naturally that materialistic people cannot understand. Vamsidas stood six feet tall, never cut his beard or hair, which was disheveled and matted, he never took a bath, and was prone to go on fasts for many days. His eyes looked wild and he only wore kaupins, or loincloths.Even though he appeared dirty, he was always healthy and very strong. He always spoke of Krishna and devotional service, but due to his intense devotion he could rarely be understood. He spoke in an unintelligible manner with little apparent connection between one sentence and the next. Sometimes he would start shouting the names of Krishna over and over again in ecstatic love.Vamsidas always thought of Radha's and Krishna's pastimes or Mahaprabhu's and Nityananda's pastimes. He always sang songs about Them and always served Them with great love.He mostly stayed in Navadvip where he lived in a small bhajan-kutir. There he had deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, Radha-Krishna and Bal Gopal. He would often carry Bal Gopal around in his right hand. He would spend hours talking to the deities. Srila Prabhupada gave a lecture in Los Angeles stating: "If you think this deity is a brass-made idol, then it will remain a brass-made idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to higher platform of Krishna consciousness, then Krishna, this Krishna, will talk with you. There is a Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja, he was talking with his Deity."

There are many beautiful pastimes of Babaji Maharaja. I'm very sorry that I cannot properly describe all of them now. One time during his stay in Jagannath Puri, during Ratha-yatra, Lord Jagannnath's cart stopped where Babaji Maharaja was staying. Whatever they tried to do they could not move the cart. After Babaji Maharaja had some intimate conversations with the Lord the chariot started moving again.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura revered Vamsidas as a great saint and were very eager to serve him and receive his association. They first met him in 1903. In later years Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sometimes crossed the river from Mayapur to visit Babaji Maharaja in Kuliya. Seeing him coming Vamsidas would claim, "Oh, a manjari has come, so won't Radha also come? She will come! She will come!" Bhaktisiddhanta always had three brahmacaris stay with Babaji Maharaja just to get his food remnants. They would then send the remnants to Mayapur and Vrindavan. The Goswamis in charge of Radha-Raman would eagerly take the foodstuffs.

It is very difficult to try and understand the great souls from an intellectual and mundane point of view. Attempting to glorify them is great purification. I sincerely seek Babaji Maharaja's blessings.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Hear I cry and laughLaugh at my stupidityHow could it be , that I let my mind flee?Still I'll tread steadily Will you wait for me?You are miles aheadI'm struggling to get out of bedRemember what Gurudev said?

The snow is deepinhalations burn but now it's my turnMy turn to hold Vasuki and churnChurn out my desires and impurityAre you still trying to get through to me?